Whilst International student numbers are predicted to fall, home students are likely to take their place
As reported by BNR, educational institutions in the Netherlands have received thousands more registrations compared to the same period last year. This is evident from figures from the VSNU. However the organisation responsible for Internationalisation in Dutch education, NUFFIC, last week reported that up to a quarter fewer International students would take up their places at Dutch universities in September.
No gap year
As per the VSNU, during times of economic shrinking, studying becomes an attractive prospect for students leaving secondary school; with lots of industries requiring a tertiary educational degree for entry.
In addition, a gap year is now less popular, because travel is significantly more limited, and side jobs such as working in hospitality are more scarce. “We see six percent more registrations than usual because of this. That is very striking”, says Pieter Duisenberg, chairman of the VSNU.
This increase in registrations will be rectified again next year, thinks the National Student Union. ‘We see a lot of uncertainty about the future among students. Now they just register to be sure. ” says Alex Tess Rutten, chairman of the LSVb. “It is now up to the institutions to ensure that students can study and like it.”
Image via Flickr user DennisM2. License-free.
